Back to EveryPatent.com
United States Patent |
5,025,970
|
Anderson
,   et al.
|
June 25, 1991
|
Protective sleeve for carpet tacking gun
Abstract
A protective sleeve for a powered tacking machine is in the form of a
single piece sleeve member formed of a resilient memoried polymeric
material shape to encase the body of the stapler, has bottom and size
openings to accommodate the stapling head and the handle of the stapling
machine and a top opening to allow convection cooling of the body of the
stapling machine. A further slit is provided connecting the side and
bottom openings in said sleeve member such that the bottom portion of the
sleeve member can be opened to accommodate placement on the machine, the
material memory thereafter returning the material to its original shape on
the tacking machine, such that no other means is required for retaining
the sleeve member on the tacking machine.
Inventors:
|
Anderson; Martin L. (Maple Lake, MN);
Nickel; Gregory (Independence, MO)
|
Assignee:
|
National Carpet Equipment Inc. (Maple Grove, MN)
|
Appl. No.:
|
496239 |
Filed:
|
March 20, 1990 |
Current U.S. Class: |
227/156; 150/154 |
Intern'l Class: |
B25C 007/26; B25C 007/36 |
Field of Search: |
227/156
150/52 R,55
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
3272267 | Sep., 1966 | Cangas | 227/156.
|
4946087 | Aug., 1990 | Wingert | 227/156.
|
4981247 | Jan., 1991 | Noll.
| |
Primary Examiner: Eley; Timothy V.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A protective sleeve for a powered stapling machine having a generally
cylindrical body, a stp ling head connected to the bottom end of the body,
and a handle connected to the side wall of the body, comprising:
a unitary sleeve member formed of a resilient memoried polymeric material
shaped generally as hollow cylinder to encase, and prevent marring of
surfaces contacted by, the body of the powered tacking machine, the sleeve
member further having spaced bottom and side openings to accommodate the
stapling head an the handle of the stapling machine and a top opening to
allow convection cooling of the body of the stapling machine;
wherein a further slit is provided connecting the side and bottom openings
in the sleeve member such that the bottom portion of the sleeve member can
be opened or spread to enable and accommodate placement of the sleeve on
the machine;
wherein the memory of the material thereafter returns the sleeve to its
original shape on the stapling machine; and
wherein no other means is provided for retaining the sleeve member on the
tacking machine.
2. The protective sleeve of claim 1 wherein the sleeve member is made
substantially of heat-curable polyvinyl chloride polymer.
3. The protective sleeve of claim 2 wherein the sleeve member has a
hardness in the range of approximately 80 and 100 Durometer.
4. The protective sleeve of claim 3 wherein the hardness is approximately
90 Durmoeter.
5. The protective sleeve of claim 4 wherein the sleeve member has a nominal
thickness from about 0.10 to about 0.20 inches.
6. The protective sleeve of claim 4 wherein the sleeve member has a nominal
thickness from about 0.14 to about 0.16 inches.
7. The protective sleeve of claim 3 wherein the sleeve member has a nominal
thickness from about 0.10 to about 0.20 inches.
8. The protective sleeve of claim 3 wherein the sleeve member has a nominal
thickness from about 0.14 to about 0.16 inches.
9. The protective sleeve of claim 1 wherein the sleeve member has a
hardness in the range of approximately 80 to 100 Durometer.
10. The protective sleeve of claim 1 wherein the sleeve member has a
nominal thickness from about 0.10 to about 0.20 inches.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
I. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to improvements in powered
carpet tacking guns, staplers or the like and, more particularly, to an
improved protective sleeve to prevent the marring of surfaces addressed by
the hard metallic housing surface of the gun.
II. Description of the Related Art
Electrically operated tacking guns or carpet staplers have been used for
many years to shoot staples or tacks into material such as wood to retain
pieces of carpet, or the like, in place. These devices are traditionally
made of metal and include a rather heavy, generally cylindrical housing or
body member located above the tack or staple outlet such that it is prone
to bump walls, railing balusters, newels or other vulnerable items about
which or next to which the carpet is to be installed. It has thus been
necessary to be extremely careful when operating such a device in close
proximity to items which are easily dented, scratched or marred. This is
made particularly difficult inasmuch as these devices are prone to recoil
to a certain extent when fired making them even more difficult to control
in tight places.
Over the years, attempts have been to provide protective covers of one type
or another over the housing member of the tacking gun to reduce or prevent
marring of proximate surfaces. Such devices have reduced damage to such
surfaces; however, since most are made of leather or fabric, or the like,
they do cause an amount of scratching or denting. These covers also
require straps, snaps or other devices to retain them in place on the
tacker which sometimes get in the way and take additional time with regard
to putting on and taking off of the protective devices. Because of this
additional bother, they often are not used when they should be. Thus,
there remains a need to provide a simple protective device for carpet
tacking or stapling guns which prevents the marring of proximate surfaces
and which can be readily be put on and taken off and can be retained
without auxiliary fastening devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
By means of the present invention, there is provided an improved protective
sleeve for powered carpet tacking machines which is fabricated of a single
piece of formed resilient memoried polymeric material shaped generally as
a hollow cylinder to encase and match the body of the stapler. The sleeve
member is provided with bottom and side openings to accommodate the
stapling head and the handle of the stapling machine and has top and
bottom openings to allow convection cooling of the body of the tacking
machine. A slit connects the side and bottom openings in the one-piece
sleeve so that the bottom portion of the sleeve can be opened to
accommodate easy placement on the machine. The memory of the material
returns it to the formed shape after installation on the machine and
retains the sleeve in place until it is removed.
The molded sleeve of the present invention can be made from any of a class
of moldable or dip formable, resilient polymeric materials which are
memoried with respect to shape of formation such that, when deformed
physically, they will return to the originally formed shape. The preferred
material is a polyvinyl chloride polymer (PVC) which is heat curable on a
preformed mandrel die and which has a hardness rating when cured of from
about 80 Durometer to 100 Durometer. A hardness of about 90 Durometer has
been found to be the most successful.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings wherein like numerals are directed to depict like parts
throughout the several views:
FIG. 1 is a perspective, elevational view of an electrically powered
tacking or stapling machine equipped with the protective sleeve of the
invention; and
FIGS. 2-6 are, respectively, front, side, top, bottom and vertical
sectional views of one embodiment of the protective sleeve of the
invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The protective sleeve of the invention is particularly characterized by its
simplicity including ease of application and removal and the very
protective and non-marring nature of the materials of construction The
sleeve will prevent scratching or marring of surfaces addressed by the
tacking machine though they be struck or rubbed repeatedly by the sleeve
in the course of fastening carpets around stair balusters and newels, in
attaching upholstery to fine furniture, or other difficult or hard to
reach carpet-wood or carpet-wall or furniture upholstery interfaces.
A typical protective sleeve fabricated in accordance with the invention is
shown as being carried on a hand held electrically operated stapling or
tacking machine in FIG. 1. The tacking machine is depicted generally at 10
and includes an electrical input connection depicted by 11, a generally
cylindrically shaped handle portion 12, and a trigger mechanism for
operation by the index finger of the operator at 13. The tack or staple
firing mechanism is housed in a heavy metal, generally cylindrical housing
or body member which includes a conical lower portion 14A which fires
tacks or staples through a metal ejector nozzle 15. The housing member
further has outer top cooling fins as at 14B and a heat dissipating hole
14C. Staples or tacks to be installed by the tacker machine are carried in
a reloadable magazine 16 which is held closed by a leaf spring 17
operating against a shaft or pin member 18. When the leaf spring 17 is
depressed a cover member 19 is released and slides away from the nozzle 15
to allow additional staples to be placed in the magazine after which the
cover can be reset. The staple magazine is attached to the nozzle 15 and
also to the handle of the gun 10 as by a flange member 20.
The sleeve or protective jacket is depicted as being mounted about the
housing member generally at 21. As better illustrated in views 2-6, the
sleeve 21 has a generally thin-walled hollow shape defining a volume
having a configuration generally matching that of the tacker or staple gun
body or housing. This includes a generally cylindrical upper section 22
and a generally conical lower portion 23 which respectively address and
generally match the outer surface of the housing including the conical
segment 14A. Vent openings to promote cooling of the housing are provided
in the top and bottom of the sleeve as shown at 24 and 28, respectively.
Vent 24 is shown as a round opening but can be any other convenient shape.
A further side opening 25 is provided to accommodate the handle of the
stapler and a bottom hole 26 to accommodate the end of the conical section
14A containing the staple firing nozzle. A slit is provided connecting
openings 25 and 26 in the material of the sleeve at 27. This allows the
bottom portion to be open or peeled back and the entire sleeve readily
slipped onto the housing member. Upon release, it returns to its original
shape and retains itself in position as further discussed below.
In accordance with the present invention the sleeve member 21 is fabricated
from a soft, pliable resilient material which does not mar wood and can be
used near polished wood or even fine furniture. Wallboard or other common
materials of finished room construction are also quite safe. In addition
the sleeve must be fabricated of a material from a class which exhibit
shape memory. These materials return to their molded, dipped or otherwise
formed original shapes after being distorted. When the sides of the sleeve
21 are opened up to accommodate the body or housing member and the sleeve
is thereafter released, it immediately returns to its molded shape, i.e.,
assumes the shape of original formation which, in this case, is the shape
of the member which it was designed to cover or accommodate.
There is a class of polymeric materials which exhibit properties which are
desirable for the sleeve of the invention and these include polyvinyl
chloride (PVC). PVC is obtainable in a variety of heat curable hardnesses.
The sleeves of the invention have been found to work very well using PVC
polymers which have a hardness rating from about 80 Durometer to about 100
Durometer. Although polymers outside of this range of hardnesses might
find a use in the sleeve of the invention, it has been found that PVC of
less than about 80 Durometer is generally too pliable to be
self-sustaining on the tacking machines and PVC polymer of a Durometer
hardness greater than 100 is more difficult to work with and loses the
desired resiliency. The higher hardness also may mar some surfaces. The
best results have been obtained using a heat curable PVC polymer having a
hardness rated at about 90 Durometer.
While the sleeves of the invention may be made in several ways including
all types of heated molding operations including injection, vacuum
molding, pour-molding or even heated extrusion, they are preferably dip
coated on shaped mandrels. In the preferred process, the PVC material is
provided in a liquid form at approximately room temperature in the form of
a PVC liquor. Preformed mandrel dies in the shape of the tacker body
member are preheated to a predetermined, desired temperature and
thereafter dipped into the PVC liquor. When the mandrels are withdrawn, a
coating of a desired thickness, depending on the temperature of the heated
mandrel, and the speed with which it is withdrawn from the liquor is
formed on the mandrel which is in the shape desired, the material
conforming precisely to the die. This thickness may be controlled by
varying the temperature of the dipped mandrel until the desire thickness
is obtained. While this will vary with the desired resiliency and the
hardness of the PVC material used, successful embodiments have been made
in which the protective sleeves of the invention are from about 0.10 to
about 0.20 inch thick. The formed, cured and cooled sleeves are readily
peeled off the mandrels and the openings 24 and 25 thereafter provided.
Whereas the protective sleeve of the present invention has been
particularly illustrated and described with respect to its placement on
the body of a powered carpet tacking or stapling device, it is understood
that this embodiment is designed to be illustrative only and by no means
limiting with respect to the scope of the invention. It will be
appreciated, of course, that those skilled in the art may depart from the
specific design arrangements set forth herein without departing from the
spirit and scope of the present invention.
Top